Portable sterilizing apparatus



Dec. 27, 1955 s. s. GARRETT 'ET AL 2,723,335

PORTABLE STERILIZING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l I VENT 0R SHERMAN Gaee v-r.

MEIFEN 1. MSSEN. y RA Y L. BURCHETIT Dec- 27. 1955 s. s. GARRETT ETAL PORTABLE STERILIZING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1953 INVENTORS. GA PEETT N I lV/ssE/v. .BuRcHETr T OR/VEYS.

SHERMANS VVA BY PA WM n United States Patent O 2,728,335 PORTABLE STERHJZING APPARATUS Sherman S. Garrett, Champaign, 111., and Warren I. Nissen, Basking Ridge, and Ray L. Burchett, East Orange, J., assignors to Ronson Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 27, 1953, Serial No. 345,206 Claims. (Cl. 126-38) This invention relates to portable sterilizing apparatus and more particularly apparatus of that class which has a burner or burners utilizing compressed fluid fuel such as may be supplied from disposable cartridges for example.

Heretofore so-called portable sterilizers which have proven satisfactory for any extensive practical use, have required an electrical power supply, some form of stove or the like, or some form of liquid fuel so contained or used that the equipment is inconvenient or otherwise objectionable for general portable use, or of a size too large to be readily carried in the pocket or a physician's bag. Physicians, nurses, diabetics and others are often called to, or are in locations where means for heating and sterilizing water and hypodermic syringes, are extremely limited or unavailable, and in the case especially of diabetics, it is sometimes very important for them promptly to obtain access to some effective sterilizing means to enable them to make tests and administer injections.

The present invention provides a self-contained promptly usable portable sterilizing apparatus which carries its own source of fuel for heating, in the form of capsules of compressed gas, the equipment being adapted all to be contained in a small casing suitable for carrying in ones pocket, and which may be put into immediate use either for sterilizing hypodermic syringes, parts thereof or other instruments, or for providing a source of sterile water, and the gas fuel capsules as well as all of the valve mechanisms for controlling the use of the gas are of constructions which can easily be obtained or serviced at retail stores and servicing agencies which currently handle gas type cigarette lighters in all parts of the country.

Other and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate by way of example the presently preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a single burner apparatus embodying the invention and in condition ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view partly in section of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view partly broken away, taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing an alternative embodiment of the invention having two burners;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the fuel reservoir portions of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in further detail, the

taken substantially along apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 may comprise for example a base member as at 10 formed of a suitable plastic material, for example. This member may constitute the lower wall of a casing having for example two cover portions as at 11, 12, also of plastic material if desired, and suitably hinged to the base as at 13 and arranged so that when the equipment is to be carried'about, the covers may be swung up to closed position as shown in Fig. 3, but when the casing is open for use of the equipment, then the cover portions may be swung down to the position shown in Fig. 1 to provide a stabilizing means for the base portion 10 on which the equipment is mounted. The covers when open provide convenient temporary supporting places for instruments, bandages etc. One or both of the covers may also be tilted to positions to form wind shields. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper inner edges of the cover portions may be shaped as at 14, 15 to provide latching means when the casing is closed.

The base member 10may be so constructed that its lower portion as shown in Fig. 2 provides a compartment 16 suitable for receiving one or two capsules '17 containing compressed fluid fuel such as butane gas or othersuitable combustible gas, the capsules preferably being of the construction now being widely marketed for use in connection with gas burning types of pocket cigarette lighters and such as disclosed for example in co-pending U. S. patent applications of Warren I. Nissen Serial No. 272,547, filed February ,20, 1952, now abandoned, or of Ray L. Burchett Serial No. 283,554, filed April 22, 1952 (Patent No. 2,679,140, granted May 25, 1954), both of which applications have been assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Thecompartment 16 if desired may also be made large enough to contain along with one or more of the fuel capsules other articles such as tablets or a small hypodermic syringe or parts thereof, or for example a sealed test tube containing a supply of waterto be sterilized. The compartment at one end may be formed with openings as at 18 which may be used in pushing the cartridges or other articles out from the opposite end of the chamber 16 when thecovers 11 and 12 are in open position.

The base 10 is also preferably formed with a pair of integral upstanding supporting portions as at 19, 20 each formed with a cylindrical aperture as at 21, 22 for receiving and supporting the ends of a rotatable fuel reservoir 23.

The reservoir 23 preferably comprises a cylindrical metal shell having inwardly flanged end pieces as at 24, 25 suitably sealed therein. The shell may contain a mass of cotton or the like as in the case of fuel reservoirs of gas type cigarette lighters. The end piece 24 preferably is provided with an inlet valve means 26 of a'suitable known type such as has heretofore been commonly used for the inlet to the gas reservoir of gas burning types of cigarette lighters. Such inlet valve construction may for example be of the type shown in the co-pending. U. S. patent application of Warren I. Nissen, Serial No. 294.640, filed June 20, 1952 (Patent No. 2,717,720, granted September 13, 1955, and assigned tothe assignee of the present invention). About midway of its length the cylindrical wall of the fuel reservoir is provided with a burner valve 27 of a type for example which has also heretofore been extensively used in gas type cigarette lighters as a burner valve and which may be of a construction such as shown in the co-pending U. S. patent application of Ray L. Burchett, Serial No. 278,630, filed March 26, 1952 (Patent No. 2,672,038, granted March 16, 1954), or that shown in the application of Warren I. Nissen, Serial No. 293,151, filed June 12, 1952 (Patent No. 2,708,842, granted May 24, 1955) both of which applications have been assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Such burner valves have a protruding tliatiwhen the fuel reservoir 23 is rotiated to one position,

extinguished whenever the cover is closed;

I Tolirnit th'ef arcuate mav ns; of the iuel reservoir and also to removablyretain thelfuel' reservoir against u 'nin tended endwise displacement in itssupports', aspring'f p ss dfi snt m a s' 2. a ha rq tdedts v ngs win s pa w filr Em 1 2112? e t w ss i h: gage in' an arcuate s 33 for ad in the wallpf thereser The preferredformyof he invention provides for proper nt Of the flame f m h .v' e. i i a mann r such that the fiarnewill be spmew at ditfused or distribut ed and will bemaintained as a soot-free blueiflarhe of con-j stant'p'redetermined height. I, For this purpose, what will be termed aldiffuser plate 3:5 is" provided in the a m of a horizontal circular met'al dischaving a pair of supporting arms as at 36 suitably attachedto'the supports 19 and 20 ssp t r- Th si r35. as ancestral ars m through which the' gas from; the valve; 27 passes, up: and in a manner such that the'fiame' will be above the ap""'j ture 37 thereby assuring that the fiamre at ali times w ll I eservoir a sist e lfla'm fitlmia tlb da ia u t ences'sive usegfr' f ne degicessi Lbo n'g oath; water. In order to p'iovide I) the; narii'eti to insure formation" of a son e blu'e' fiaine, theldi'sc 35jis: also formed with a plural ty bf srnall aper'tu'res star 38 an; rounding the central opening 37 and thrbiigh streamsof air are drawn up by aetion o f the flarn' and with lthe result that when a suitable small water tan is '..49.= j.,P db y di fl v i m5 w l 5 5 mu hrqwt rm as $159M n f i 3, fl 1 flame" spreading out (we; a co'usitt'eiable aiea at the uii'c ler'sid t the tank It hasbee'n found that tli efliciency with which the flame heats" the wati' ta'nlt andthe area over war s the fiain e conta'cts' h nsta t may be increased. by torming the man nese-grits in the sh E of a' shallow four-sidecl pyranlidtaslindicatd at 41', that is, with theridg's of the pyramidal to k froth, the niiddle'of tlie underside as the is each er the four lower corners-of the tank reispectivel 'fhe' tank 45 is preferably made bf guite e at mai sl ttfi i atlii lafl t is lost in heating the rent as distinguished frbm the ware:

4 or liquid contained therein. Also to minimize waste of heat, the outer side walls of the tank may be coated with any suitable fireproof insulating material. Supports for the tank may be provided in the form of pieces of small wire as at 42, 43 shaped as shown to embrace the ends of the tank and to provide sinall supporting shoulders as at 44 under the four corners of the tank,- the ends of the Wires as at 45 providing supporting legs secured within-the plastic supporting portions 19and20; As'indicated in Fig. 2; the longitudinal side walls of th'etank 40 may be formed with strengthening ribs-or-ridge'sas at 46 which may also be utilized to indicate the appropriatewater level for the'tank: I l L H I To ch i g e the reservoir 23 with compressed gas, the end fitting as at 17w on oiiof-th gas capsules 17 is screwed into the intake valve 26, such valve as above referred to, being of a construction such that a part thereof' punctures the" end of the fitting 1711'; thusal-lowing: gas to escape from the capsule into the reservoir. Thereser voir during filling thereof is ofcourse rotated to a position suchthat'ithe" burner valve 27 is held closed by the spring 28. Since such fuel capsules will ordinarily be partially filled with liquefied" gas, during this operation the apparatus should preferably beheld on its side with the reservoir valve 26 pointed upwardly andwith the fuel capsule outlet directed downwardly so'that the liquid in* the capsule will readily draininto the reservoir'in accord ance with the samepractice' now customary in the filling of gas type cigarette lighters; After about one minute Unless the capsulel! may the'n be unscrewed from the valve 26' which will automatically close; whereupon" the apparatus is readytor use. Then-with the'ca'sing-o'pen as in Fig; i,-- the lever 31 is turned down to the position there shown; thus bringingtheburner valve to theposi-' tion shown in fuli lines at'27a in'Fig. 4.- At this momentthe gasescaping from the burner valve may beignited by a match or a pocket cigarette lighter.

With the equipment as shown in the drawings; constructed with the parts of the relative sizes as shown,- and the Whole assembly being of a size suitable for being received ina coat pocket; it has been found that the water in the tank 40 may be easily heated to the boiling point in about four or five minutes.

In cases, where it is desired to heat the' water to the boiling point more rapidly,' a plurality of burners, for example two burners, may be provided with an arrange ment such as shown in- Figs. 6-8. Here two fuelrser v'oir sections 23a; 23b are provided in end to end position; each having burner valves as at 50, 51015 the same construction as burner valve 27 above referred to, and each operated in the same way by spring means such as shown at 28 and in conjunction with separate diffuser plates as shown at 35 in Fig. l. The two reservoir sec tions 23d, 2312 are brought into communication with each other by a tubular member 52- sealed through one end wall' 53 of reservoir section 2311, this tubular member being surrounded by suitable packing means suchas a rubber O-ring 54, which ring is received within an annular groove formed in an annular end piece member 55 fixed in'- the end of reservoir 23b. That is, the endpiece 55 may be fixed and sealed in position in reservoir 23b as by an annular flanged member 56;

The reservoir sections 23a, 23b are independently rotatable to a sufficient degree to permiteither one or both to be' turned to proper positions for closing or opening the respective burner valve's thereof.- For this purpose; the reservoirs are provided at their respective outer ends with handles 31 a and 31b, and with spring pressed stop pins S-Za' and 325.- I

As best shown in Figs} 6 and 8, the eyuaaneai wall of this reserves" sction 23d may eiitend our iiit'eles'cop; ing relation about the end of the reservoir seensa 2'35 and thewe reservoir parts may be detaha'bly connected together by pins as at 58, 59 which arerriouiite 1n the aniiulai members 55 and 56, and i'espectively ii tefid iiito arcuate slots 60, 61 formed in the protruding shell portion of reservoir section 23a. These pins and slots thus permit the two reservoir sections to be turned with respect to each other about their axes through angles of 90. Thus for example to rapidly bring the water to the boiling point, both reservoir sections may be turned to positions to open their valves to provide two flames. After the water starts to boil, then either one of the reservoir sections can be turned to close its valve and thus permitting the continued boiling of the water to be carried on by one burner alone. As indicated at the left hand end of Fig. 6, a gas intake valve may be provided at 26a of the same construction as above referred to at 26, and the reservoir sections of Fig. 6 may be filled in the same manner from gas capsules as above described in connection with the single burner embodiment of the invention.

Although certain particular embodiments of the invention are herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, various further modifications thereof, after study of this specification, will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Reference should accordingly be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a portable casing, an elongated reservoir therein for compressed gas fuel, supporting means in said casing for rotatably mounting said reservoir about its longitudinal axis, valve means at one end of said reservoir for charging therein compressed gas from a disposable capsule, a gas burner valve on said reservoir at a point intermediate its ends, said gas burner valve having a stem means depressible to close same, and means on said support adjacent said reservoir for engaging said stem to depress same when the reservoir is rotated to one position, the valve stem projecting to gas-releasing position for maintaining a burner flame when the reservoir is rotated to another position.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a portable casing, an elongated reservoir therein for compressed gas fuel, supporting means in said casing for rotatably mounting said reservoir about its longitudinal axis, valve means at one end of said reservoir for charging therein compressed gas from a disposable capsule, a gas burner valve on said reservoir at a point intermediate its ends, means on said support adjacent said reservoir for engaging said valve to close same when the reservoir is rotated to one position, the valve being actuatable to gasreleasing position for maintaining a burner flame when the reservoir is rotated to another position.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a base member formed with upstanding supporting portions at each end, an elongated reservoir for compressed gas fuel rotatably supported at its ends respectively in said supports, a burner valve on said reservoir intermediate its ends, means fixed with respect to said base for engaging said valve to close same when said reservoir is rotated to one position, the valve being open to allow gas to maintain a flame when the reservoir is rotated to another position, and a pair of cover members hinged to opposite sides respectively of the lower part of said base and adapted to extend out generally horizontally therefrom and extend the base area when in open position, the covers when closed being adapted to enclose said supports and reservoir.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a base member formed with upstanding supporting portions at each end, an elongated reservoir for compressed gas fuel rotatably supported at its ends respectively in said supports, a burner valve on said reservoir intermediate its ends, means for engaging said valve to close same when said reservoir is rotated to one position, the valve being open to allow gas to maintain a flame when the reservoir is rotated to another position, a pair of cover members hinged to opposite sides respectively of the lower part of said base and adapted to extend out generally horizontally therefrom when in open position, the covers when closed being adapted to enclose said supports and reservoir, and handle means for rotating said reservoir, such handle means being positioned to be engaged by one of the covers when moved to closed position to thereby rotate the reservoir to a position for closing said valve.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a base member formed with upstanding supporting portions at each end, an elongated reservoir for compressed gas fuel, having two end-to-end sections, each independently rotatable with respect to said supports, a burner valve on each of said reservoir sections intermediate the ends thereof, means for engaging each of said valves to close same when the reservoir sections carrying same are rotated to one position, each valve being open to allow gas to maintain a flame when its reservoir section is rotated to another position, cover means hinged to the lower part of said support and adapted to extend out horizontally from said base when open, the cover means when closed being adapted to enclose said supports and reservoir, and handle means for rotating each of said reservoir sections, such handle means being positioned to be engaged by the cover means when moved to closed position to thereby rotate the reservoir sections to positions for closing said valves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,328 Connelly Oct. 19, 1880 244,225 Fritz July 12, 1881 1,300,594 Ferdon Apr. 15, 1919 1,428,113 Neal Sept. 5, 1922 1,447,414 Eustage Mar. 6, 1923 1,580,909 Lavoie Apr. 13, 1926 1,888,262 Fernandez Nov. 22, 1932 2,225,446 Guillo Dec. 17, 1940 2,538,538 Stempel Jan. 16, 1951 

